"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the
mountains would tremble before you!" (Isa 64:1 NIV)
I know this prayer from Isaiah. No, I haven't memorized it. But, I know it. I've prayed it at least a few time: "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence!" And, I have a feeling that I'm probably not alone in having prayed a prayer similar to that one from time to time - when things get tough - when you feel persecuted or all alone. Haven't you ever thought or prayed: "This is enough. Please, make your presence known o all people so they'd straighten out and we cold live in peace already!"?
Yet, Isaiah reminds us, that it’s not everyone else, but me, too. Isaiah reminds us that we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. It’s not just everyone else. We are all guilty and our iniquities – our sins – just as the wind - have taken us away – out of God’s presence.
But, we’re not out of God’s presence. He is with us. In spite of the fact that we often do not hear nor do we see the answer, the prayer has been answered. For God did indeed come down to us. The great God Almighty came down to earth to meet humankind right where we are. As we drifted further and further away from God’s good will for us, He, Himself, broke open the heavens and came down, as a little child, to be one of us.
The one who formed us with his own hands, who breathed His breath of life into us, took on the form of man in order that he might live with us and that we might have whole and abundant life in Him.
This potter, (potter and clay; vs. 8) who as the water receded to form dry land, took the wet sticky clay from beside the sea and formed humankind with His hands continues to mold us. The one who formed us out of clay and breathed His life into us, came among us when His clay vessels were cracked and broken. He came to repair what we had damaged. The great sculptor came down to earth so that he could continue the work of his hand - molding all His people into what he intended us to be.
There may be and probably will be days when we will think: "Oh, Lord God, break down the heavens already and come down - show us your majesty - show your greatness - make the mountains quake - so that all the nations will tremble and fall down to honor you." Then may God help you to remember that He, the Potter, the Great Creator, in fact has already broken through and come down to earth. He assumed the nature of His created humankind and came down, not to destroy His or our enemies, but to save, to renew His work - His creation. As Jesus the Christ, He picked up all the broken potsherds and continues His marvelous work of creating in you and throughout the world.
God's Peace - Pr. J
P.S. Not getting why I can't fix background colors.... I appear to lack the gifts of a good sculptor as I cannot even sculpt a simple blog post in the way I would like it to look :)
I know this prayer from Isaiah. No, I haven't memorized it. But, I know it. I've prayed it at least a few time: "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence!" And, I have a feeling that I'm probably not alone in having prayed a prayer similar to that one from time to time - when things get tough - when you feel persecuted or all alone. Haven't you ever thought or prayed: "This is enough. Please, make your presence known o all people so they'd straighten out and we cold live in peace already!"?
Yet, Isaiah reminds us, that it’s not everyone else, but me, too. Isaiah reminds us that we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. It’s not just everyone else. We are all guilty and our iniquities – our sins – just as the wind - have taken us away – out of God’s presence.
But, we’re not out of God’s presence. He is with us. In spite of the fact that we often do not hear nor do we see the answer, the prayer has been answered. For God did indeed come down to us. The great God Almighty came down to earth to meet humankind right where we are. As we drifted further and further away from God’s good will for us, He, Himself, broke open the heavens and came down, as a little child, to be one of us.
The one who formed us with his own hands, who breathed His breath of life into us, took on the form of man in order that he might live with us and that we might have whole and abundant life in Him.
This potter, (potter and clay; vs. 8) who as the water receded to form dry land, took the wet sticky clay from beside the sea and formed humankind with His hands continues to mold us. The one who formed us out of clay and breathed His life into us, came among us when His clay vessels were cracked and broken. He came to repair what we had damaged. The great sculptor came down to earth so that he could continue the work of his hand - molding all His people into what he intended us to be.
There may be and probably will be days when we will think: "Oh, Lord God, break down the heavens already and come down - show us your majesty - show your greatness - make the mountains quake - so that all the nations will tremble and fall down to honor you." Then may God help you to remember that He, the Potter, the Great Creator, in fact has already broken through and come down to earth. He assumed the nature of His created humankind and came down, not to destroy His or our enemies, but to save, to renew His work - His creation. As Jesus the Christ, He picked up all the broken potsherds and continues His marvelous work of creating in you and throughout the world.
P.S. Not getting why I can't fix background colors.... I appear to lack the gifts of a good sculptor as I cannot even sculpt a simple blog post in the way I would like it to look :)
